John Anderson Luke, Jr.

John A. Luke Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, decorated United States Air Force Veteran, and accomplished business leader, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at his home in Vero Beach, Florida.

John was born in New York City to the late Joy Carter Luke and John Anderson Luke Sr., and was raised in Charleston, South Carolina; Luke, Maryland; and Bedford, New York. He was a proud graduate of the Hotchkiss School and Lawrence University and served his country as an officer in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam conflict in Southeast Asia, where he was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service. He left active duty as a First Lieutenant in 1974.

Following military service, he joined the Procter & Gamble Company and worked in sales management before earning his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1979 he joined Westvaco Corporation, a paper and packaging company originally founded by the Luke family in the late 19th century. Appointed as CEO and Chairman in 1992, he dedicated the remainder of his 40-year career to building the Company and its successors, MeadWestvaco and WestRock, now Smurfit Westrock. He was a principled leader who loved and cared deeply for the Company, its purpose, and most importantly, its people.

Throughout his career, John shared his experience and perspective through his service on corporate boards of directors, including Bank of New York Mellon, The Timken Company, and FM Global. He was also deeply committed to public policy, education, and community service, serving for several years on the Boards of the American Enterprise Institute, the American Forest & Paper Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Lawrence University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He brought the same broad perspective, intellectual curiosity, and steady judgement to these roles that made him such a trusted voice in business and industry.

John was a lifelong member of the West Chop Club in Martha’s Vineyard, a community where he enjoyed summer days with his family from early childhood to late retirement, and which he later led as Club President. He loved the peace it provided and the lifelong friends it brought, and he cherished sharing it with his family. He was also a member of the John’s Island Club in Vero Beach, Florida, where he eventually became a full-time resident. There he enjoyed continuing to perfect his golf game and sharing the beach, pool, and warm winter days with his family.

John lived life fully, devoted to his friends, country, career, and above all, his wonderful family whom he adored. He married the love of his life, Kathleen Allen Luke, on June 30, 1984, and was a loving father to their three children and a proud grandfather to six wonderful grandkids. He especially cherished every moment with his grandkids, introducing his oldest to golf and holding his newest in his final days. He loved discovering a new cocktail recipe, a late fall halftime chili on Giants football Sundays, and was never happier than when surrounded by family, whether around the dinner table, on the golf course, or during long summer days on Martha’s Vineyard.

Disciplined and humble, John’s life was marked by strength, generosity, integrity, and a gracious spirit that made everyone around him feel welcome and supported. He possessed a remarkable ability to connect and build meaningful relationships with anyone he met, and an endless capacity to share his wisdom and counsel, which so many sought.

In addition to many friends and extended family, he is survived by his immediate family, including his loving wife, Kathleen Luke; brother William (“Bill”) Luke and sister Hope Hetherington; his children: Lindsay Gates (Scott), Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Mooney (Remy), and John (“Johnny”) A. Luke III (Caroline); and his grandchildren: Grace Gates, Charlie Gates, Martha Joy Luke, Joy Mooney, and John A. Luke IV (“Jack”). He joins his parents, Joy and John A. Luke Sr.; his sister, Jane Murphy; and his granddaughter, Alice Gates, in heaven.

We were blessed to have him in our lives, and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, followed by a reception nearby at the Commonwealth Club.

To honor John’s lifelong commitment to learning and service, his family would welcome contributions in his memory to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation or the Cleveland Clinic.

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.